Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage expansion pack review

If you can't get enough of Fallout 3, the new expansion pack Operation: Anchorage will give you some experience points on ice. Images courtesy of Bethesda.

The Commies have invaded Alaska! Do you have what it takes to rescue Anchorage from the conquering hordes and keep the land of moose and glaciers safe for democracy? That's the question asked in this first downloadable expansion pack for Fallout 3, which puts your character inside a computer simulation of the battle for America's northernmost state that forms a big part of the Fallout back-story.

Platforms: Reviewed on Xbox 360. Also available for Windows PC. Requires core game Fallout 3.

Hits: This expansion pack slips seamlessly into almost any existing Fallout 3 game; as long as you haven't started the final mission, you can play Operation Anchorage. If you successfully complete the simulation missions, you are rewarded with a unique power armor, power armor training (which otherwise is unobtainable until roughly three-fourths through the main campaign), and a slew of powerful new weapons. The missions are also a lot of fun, giving you full military backup (including selectable equipment loadouts, customizable reinforcements, and plenty of supplies), which feels very different from the scrounge-and-scarcity style of standard Fallout 3.

Misses: Although the quests included in the expansion pack can be played at almost any time during the main campaign, the rewards you get for beating the simulation definitely help a low-level character more than a high-level character, meaning that you may want to restart your game to get the full benefits. There are also only four quests spanning five missions, with one of those involving just getting TO the simulator's location, and the whole thing can be beaten in an afternoon. It's also not available for the PlayStation 3, so unless you have the Xbox 360 or PC versions of Fallout 3, you're out of luck.

Recommendation: If you love the World War III back-story and cleverly gruesome combat system of Fallout 3, you will definitely want to download this expansion. It may be a little short, but at only 800 Microsoft Points ($10), it's definitely a bargain.

Grade: A -

Kevin Pezzano is a freelancer for The Birmingham News and looks cool in power armor.